Useful Information

Wooden Churches

The history of Maramures is told through the wood of their churches. Along the centuries, the area's foreign rulers did not allow the people living here to build long lasting stone churches, so instead, the local carpenters raised beautiful wooden churches to communicate with God. Wood became their best friend and companion....more ↓

The history of Maramures is told through the wood of their churches. Along the centuries, the area's foreign rulers did not allow the people living here to build long lasting stone churches, so instead, the local carpenters raised beautiful wooden churches to communicate with God. Wood became their best friend and companion. ...back ↑

Desipte many predictions to the opposite, the churches have resisted the ravages of time and still remain in this northwestern Romanian land, sustaining the local populace and amazing visitors.
The wooden churches are gothic in architecture. Heavy oak beams some over 40 feet long weight the church to the earth. Hand hewn and joined timbers with roofs made from hand-split shingles transform the churches from architectural wonder to artistic beauty. Many of the church interiors are adorned with hand painted murals dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries depicting scenes from the Bible.
The churches are not only majestic historic monuments, but are also working religious centers attracting parishoners. Every Sunday morning, throngs of villagers can be seen parading to worship, some of them still wearing their traditional Maramures costumes. The men traditionally sit in front while the women squeeze into the specially partitioned rear of the church. A group of women can also often be seen praying outside the church.
Of the almost one hundered old wooden churches in Maramureş (36 of them located in the Historical Maramures), eight are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are located in the villages of Bârsana, Budeşti, Deseşti, Ieud, Plopiş, Poienile Izei, Rogoz and Surdeşti.

The wooden church from Budesti (1643), a world heritage site (UNESCO), is celebrating itself on the Saint Nicholas Day. The beautiful and expressive paintings inside the church were made by Alexandru Ponehalschi, around 1762. The armor helmet and the chain mail shirt of Pintea, a local Robin Hood, are also kept here as an attraction for all visitors.

The wooden church of Şurdeşti, devoted to the Saint Archaengels Michael and Gabriel, was built in 1721 under the direction of Toma Macarie. The church steeple is among the tallest old wooden structures in the world.